Murder, They Hope

A bit of a slow starter but 2 and 3 just got funnier and funnier keep going.

If you're a fan of the first two films which spawned this Franchise (Death on the Tyne) and (Murder on the Blackpool Express) or even if you're just a fan of Johnny Vegas in general, you'll probably hate this.

He's been reduced to a bumbling idiot in order to provide comic relief - and boy does this film need relief. It really wants taking out back and shooting, if I'm honest. The only time Vegas' character has not been given a line to show off his stupidity, is when he's been given one to show off his grumpiness. He's only been given enough material to flip flop between those two states.

Even the haircut he's been given is a metaphor for how all the life has been battered out of any potential his character may have had initially and all that remains is a droopy floppy mess.

Gemma is firmly in charge of the pairing which is very much a gamble, considering she's about as useful as a lighthouse during a power cut and only slightly more intelligent than her sister's character who has really no need to be there.

For those who've never heard of either Vegas or Gibson before, you may find this a pleasant outing. For those of us who have seen what they're both capable of, it's very disappointing and truly worth a miss. Won't even bother watching the others as I value my braincells.

Where do I even begin with this show? It's not perfect, it's not award winning, but it's so funny and I love it!

The first three films were pretty good for the most part. They were hilarious, goofy, had great casts and incredible acting from the leading couple and others. But Murder They Hope goes even further and creates a new format which introduces brand new regular characters Monica and Vicky who are absolutely incredible additions! This format also lets us get to know Terry and Gemma on a deeper level which was very interesting to learn.

I really hope there will be more of this soon! :)

While this show is in fact not going to win awards, it is a wonderful little side track from our current hectic world. It is cute, funny and one does not need to be of sound mind to enjoy. I really like the Comedy and the who done it is gravy. I highly recommend for the laughs.

Vegas and Gibson show they are still a magical pairing as they take the characters from the very good TV Movies and ease them into an even better 3-part series.

Janine Duvitski stole the show in episode one but she has fierce competition due to a brilliant and wonderfully sarcastic performance by the ridiculously underrated Shobna Gulati.

Sarah Hadland as the deranged Monica is also another hilarious turn.

There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and a lot of "yes, we know this visual gag could be seen coming from miles away but it's still funny" knowing winks to the audience which is part of the fun.

Murder, They Hope doesn't claim to be re-inventing the wheel. It's lighthearted, funny, well written and a nice, much needed change to the doom and gloom of the past year in real life.

The 4 main characters get better with each episode and I hope there will be a second series of this hidden gem.

The production values are very impressive and the guest stars well cast.